But the idea isn't to save costs, it's too Bragg about the highest speed. Besides, fiber is future proof .
On Wed, Mar 2, 2016, 10:56 AM CBB - Jay Fuller <[email protected]> wrote: > > oh, pretty sure they're looking at fiber. i wish they'd do microwave - > much more cost effective. > in none of the articles i have found have they named which counties. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Josh Reynolds <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Wednesday, March 02, 2016 10:34 AM > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Erate to expand broadband across Alabama > > I have heard of the same thing being done via microwave before. > Basically using e-rate money to purchase licensed links to > crossconnect schools or to provide them with an internet/wan > connection, while using part of the capacity for other uses. Nothing > against it, as far as I know. > > Also MoreNet here in Missouri does something similar with fiber. > > On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 10:22 AM, CBB - Jay Fuller > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > So - everything I had pretty much heard about this before - means this > can't > > be done and is illegal. > > But actually - I guess not. If a local company in the state of Alabama > > expands to connect school systems > > using e-rate money , the additional pairs of fiber can be used for other > > purposes, right? > > > > I know of this traveller company... (quoted in the article). They're a > lot > > like our WISPs, except we never hear > > that they do any business. We are on a lot of the same towers. > Apparently > > they only do business customers. > > > > > http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/02/schools_will_bring_high-speed.html > > > > Nearly three dozen Alabama public school systems will take the first step > > this month to build their own high-speed Internet networks. > > > > It is the first phase of a plan to extend high-speed Internet into rural > > Alabama announced by Gov. Robert Bentley in his Feb. 2 State of the State > > speech. > > > > More school districts will follow in 2017 and 2018 until publicly owned > > networks bring high-speed Internet to thousands of state students who > don't > > have it now, officials say. > > > > The schools will be seeking bids from companies who want to build, > operate > > and maintain – but not own - high-speed Internet connections to schools > and > > libraries, state officials say. > > > > Experts from across the state, led by Office of Broadband Development > > Director Kathy Johnson, have been studying how to do it since July 2015. > > > > What the governor said > > > > "Technology is growing at lightning speed, changing the way we educate, > > deliver healthcare and even start a business," Bentley said in his > speech. > > "Yet our communities and rural areas cannot tap into the potential that > > Broadband access would bring." > > > > Other cities and counties across America are rapidly extending > high-speed > > Internet. A recent Washington conference showed how doctors are > monitoring > > patients over high-speed lines, students are watching live demonstrations > > from distant colleges, and cities are putting free high-speed Internet > into > > community centers in low-income neighborhoods. > > > > Nearly 1 million Alabamians have no access to high-speed Internet, > according > > to a recent federal study, and 41 percent of them are in the state's > rural > > areas. > > alabama broadband map.JPGThis map, which is several years old and was > > generated for the Connect Alabama effort, shows Broadband or high-speed > > Internet providers in rural Alabama. The lightest colored areas have 1 > or 2 > > providers and the darkest have 5 or more providers. > > > > Part of the reason is business economics. Running fiber cable or using > > towers to beam Wi-Fi Internet access costs money. Private companies want > a > > return on that investment. > > > > "If you've only got 50 or 60 customers (in a town)," explains Tim Erwin, > > owner and CEO of Huntsville's Traveller Multimedia Network, "how do you > stay > > in business?" > > > > State Education Trust Fund money > > > > In the first phase of Bentley's plan, State Education Trust Fund money > would > > match federal grants to build the fiber networks, Johnson said this week. > > The federal grant program is called E-rate, and it can pay up to 90 > percent > > of the cost of running the fiber cable to rural areas. > > > > The federal share of the spending comes from fees paid by all Americans > on > > their telephone bills now. > > > > Bentley says rural connectivity won't just improve schools, law > enforcement > > communications and healthcare. He told the Legislature it will lead to > > "enhanced economic development opportunities." > > > > The governor offered few specifics on how the state will take to make > that > > happen, but he did mention "cutting the bureaucracy" around Internet > service > > now and providing infrastructure. > > > > Cutting the bureaucracy could mean making it easier for companies to > access > > public rights of way and power poles to extend their services. It isn't > > immediately clear what "providing infrastructure" might mean. > > > > Opelika and Auburn > > > > One example of the complications is found in Opelika and neighboring > Auburn. > > Opelika has a municipally owned and operated high-speed system that > provides > > television, telephone and Internet service to customers – so-called > "Triple > > Play" service. The city originally ran and connected its fiber cable to > > create a "smart" utility grid, then realized it could provide additional > > services. > > > > But Opelika is banned by state law from offering Internet service to > > next-door Auburn because Auburn isn't in the Opelika city limits. Fencing > > Opelika protects other commercial Internet providers. > > > > Those Internet providers, including large telecommunications companies > such > > as AT&T, Comcast and Charter, are leery of publicly owned Internet, to > say > > the least. > > > > But providing high-speed Internet to schools and libraries isn't as > > controversial. > > > > "We have provided school buildings with power, water and roads," Johnson > > said. "It's the government's role to also provide high-speed Internet." > > > > 'Not a horrible idea' > > > > "That's not a horrible idea at all," David Williams of the > Washington-based > > Taxpayers Protection Alliance said Tuesday of the school initiative. > > > > "This is money that's already there," Williams said of the E-rate > program. > > "I wouldn't want to see the tax rate increased to put into the program." > > > > Williams' organization opposes most publicly owned Internet as a bad > > investment. He does not agree that providing high-speed Internet is "a > core > > government service." > > > > Devil in the details? > > > > Back at Huntsville's Traveller Multimedia Network, Erwin is already > serving > > rural areas with wireless connectivity across 2,700 square miles of North > > Alabama, including service for major new developments like the Polaris > plant > > in areas without fiber access. > > > > "The issue comes down to how you make it happen," Erwin said of expanding > > service. He believes Bentley is sincere, but he's worried that big > players > > could have undue influence in what happens next. "The usual suspects," he > > calls them. > > > > > >
